When the Western media does take note of happenings in Ukraine, it does so in the context of the fabricated narrative that Vladimir Putin is executing a long-range plan for the re-establishment of a Russian Empire. Putin, so the story goes, has taken Crimea as a prelude to further expansion. He allegedly has his rapacious eyes on Eastern Ukraine as well as the nations of the Baltic — Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. And unless he is stopped, so we are told, Russia will continue to devour nation after nation as it advances westward like a knife pointed at the heart of European democracy. (See: “Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault”.)

But it is NATO expansion that has triggered the crisis in Ukraine, not Russian aggression. In the past 15 years, NATO has been moving eastward, closer and closer to the Russian border. NATO has extended its membership to include the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, among other nations formerly in the sphere of Russian influence. It has long talked about offering NATO membership to Ukraine and Georgia. Russia is already being hemmed in by the West. If it loses Ukraine to NATO, it will have surrendered its last buffer zone. The annexing of Crimea, formerly a part of Russia, likely had as one of its aims the prevention of a potential NATO naval base on the Black Sea.

Russia is reacting to Western expansion, not resurrecting an empire. But that’s not the story we are told by the Western media, which has become a conduit for government propaganda. Most people in Europe and North America see Russia as a dangerous aggressor that must be confronted, one way or another. As James Hanisch has documented in Only She Can Help Us, such lies pave the way to war.

With stopping supposed Russian aggression as a pretext, the West has imposed crippling economic sanctions. These measures, combined with falling oil prices (a commodity that is the main component of Russian exports), has brought Russia to the verge of economic ruin, with the ruble crashing and dollar-denominated debt closing in. What will Putin do next? President Barack Obama has recently gloated that he holds better cards than Putin. But as more thoughtful and far-seeing analysts have noted, Putin may hold the Trump card. (See:“Putin’s Ukraine Strategy Is Straight Out Of ‘Game Of Thrones’”.)

It is naïve to think that Russia will simply accept the economic punishment and humiliation inflicted by the West and cede the Ukraine to NATO. To do so is not in keeping with the Russian character nor with the character of its present leader. Russia is certain to retaliate, using whatever weapons it holds. And a bill passed by the United States to send Ukraine $350 million dollars in military aid, under the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, cannot be seen by Russia as anything less than a growing commitment by the West not simply to attack Russia economically, but to confront it on the field of battle. (See:“Russia threatens response if US sets new sanctions over Ukraine” and “Obama to sign new Russia sanctions bill by end of week”.)

The Ukraine Freedom Support Act also empowers President Obama to impose further sanctions on Russia should it be determined that Russia is withholding significant natural gas supplies from NATO nations as well as Ukraine, Georgia or Moldova. The West is trying to render Russia impotent, threatening even more economic pain should Russia choose to retaliate with one of the few economic weapons it possesses. And by what right does the United States claim the authority to decide to whom Russia should sell its commodities and how much it should sell? How can the Russians regard this as anything other than the West assuming dictatorial power over their nation?

Meanwhile, the Russian people are watching their savings being wiped out by Western sanctions that have driven the ruble to unprecedented lows against the dollar and other currencies. Whom will they blame? Putin or the West? Polls show strong support for Putin and growing anger at the West among the Russian people. Is Putin likely to surrender to the United States and its NATO allies at this point? Who would support him then? And one fault with the Western political calculus is that it places too great an emphasis on material concerns and too little consideration for national pride and the willingness of people to suffer economic hardship in defense of their dignity.

Russian officials have also said that they cannot allow military aid to Ukraine by the United States to go unanswered. But how will Russia answer? The United States and NATO continue to push Russia into a corner where it will either have to surrender and become a vassal of the West, or make a stand for its independence. Obama may think he holds the best cards, but Russia can overturn the table and scatter the cards. What this will mean for the world remains to be seen.

Our Lady of Fatima never mentioned the United States or NATO in Her prophecies. She told us Russia is the key to the fate of the world. Russia will either be converted by being consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart by the Pope and the bishops, or it will be an instrument of chastisement such as the world has never seen.

Many terrible things are happening in the Middle East and Africa and elsewhere, but we know that it is the fate of Russia that will determine the fate of the world. Let us keep our focus on Fatima and pray that the world will wake up to its only hope before it sinks into the nightmare in which “nations will be annihilated.” And by “nations” Our Lady did not mean political entities, but entire populations.

Meanwhile, Our Lady’s Apostolate, with your continued support, is doing all it can to bring about the consecration of Russia, including publishing and distributing James Hanisch’s powerful new book, Only She Can Help You. Please, get a copy, read it, pass it on, spread the word. Time is running out. Our Lady is waiting for us to turn to Her, to turn from world war to world peace. Let us pray that Our Lady of Fatima will be obeyed before it is too late.

We must also keep informed. Read the recent “Fatima Perspectives” articles listed below.

Latest Fatima Perspectives

“The Bergoglio Effect”: Pope Francis Invites Notorious Blasphemer To Headline Vatican “Christmas Concert” — The “Bergoglio Effect”, a term coined by well-known Italian journalist Antonio Socci, describes the decadence that is characteristic of the dying Archdiocese of Buenos Aires now being applied to the whole Church. One recent example of the “Bergoglio Effect” is the Pope’s outrageous personal invitation to Patti Smith — a notoriously pro-abortion “rock star” infamous for a blasphemous “lyric” in her first album, and so-called Godmother of Punk Rock — to perform at this year’s Vatican “Christmas concert.”

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